Wringer



Nov. 17, 1953 w. 1 KAUFFMANJI WRINGER Filed Nov. 21, 1951 F/Cr] atten-neg Patented Nov. 17, 1953 UNITED STA-ras PATENT' OFFICE Walter L. Kauffman II, Erie, Pa., asslgnor to Lovell Manufacturing Company, Erie, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November 21, 1951, Serial No. 257,579

Z Claims. l

This invention is an emergency pressure release for clothes wringers. Such devices have exacting requirements for reliability and ease of operation and yet must not be so sensitive as to introduce the nuisance of unwanted release due to casual contact. This invention is intended to provide a release meeting these requirements.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a. side elevation of a clothes wringer; Fig. 2 is an end view with the resettoggle broken away to expose the safety release mechanism; and Fig. 3 is a perspective of the release. mechanism.

Referring to the drawing, I indicates the rolls; 2, 3 the side stiles on the bottom frame; 4 the top bar or frame; 4a the pressure spring transmitting pressure from the top bar to the roll bearing blocks 4b; 5 the water board; 6 the release bars, one on each side of the wringer, extending above the bite of the rolls and having offset ends 1, 8 pivoted respectively in the side stiles 2, 3; 9 the reset toggle lever or link pivoted at I on the top frame; II a toggle link pivoted 'at I2 on the side stile 3 and at I3 on the reset lever ii, and I4 the latch plate integral with the toggle link II and cooperating with a catch I5 to hold the toggle links 9, II at or close to dead center in the roll pressure position illustrated in Fig. 1. The parts so far described are or may be of common construction, the wringers having such parts being commonly known as toggle release wringers.

The catch I5 is carried on a vertical channel shaped slide I6 having its web I1 slidably held against the side stile 3 by headed pins I8 extending through slots I9 in the web. At the top of the channel, the web I'I is bent outward to close the upper end of the channel and providing a thrust surface 20 engaged by ends 2 I, 22 on crank arms 23, 24 lixed to the ends 8 of the release bars on opposite sides of the wringer. The crank arms are tied together by a drag link 25 having a slot 26 slidably receiving pins 21 and 28. A spring 29 between the slide I6 and the crank arm 24 urges the slide I6 upward and pivots the release bars 6 away from the wringer rolls the distance permitted by the line 25.

The release can be operated by pushing either of the release bars 6 toward the wringer or by pulling either of the release bars away from the wringer. Pushing either release bar toward the wringer depresses the end 2l (or 22) of the crank arm 23 (or 24) moving the slide I6 down until the catch I5 is clear of the latch plate I4. If the toggle links 9, II are unstable, this is enough to release. the roll pressure. If the toggle links are 2 on dead center or are past dead center so as to be stable, some force is needed to release the toggle. This releasing force is supplied by a cam 30 extending through a slot 3| in the latch plate I4. The cam 30 is inclined to force the latch plate I4 away from the end of the wringer thereby forcing the toggle links past dead center to the unstable condition when the stored pressure in the rolls forces the toggle links to the pressure release position. Pulling a release bar on one side of the wringer produces the same eiiect as pushing the bar on the opposite side of the wringerv due to the drag line 25. Having the release operated by either a push or pull is advantageous because under panic conditions the operator is not always able `to follow directions.

The sensitivity of the release is determined primarily by the spring 29 and can be almost entirely independent of roll pressure if the toggle links 9. II are latched at or close to dead center. The releasing force can be set above the nuisance level where unwanted releases might be obtained from casual contact with the release bars and yet be suiciently sensitive so the operator can easily release the pressure.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a toggle release type wringer having a roll carrying frame with a Vertical side stile at one end, a roll pressure member for withstanding roll separating forces, and toggled links respectively pivoted to the side stile and to the roll pressure member and movable toward a dead center position holding the roll pressure member against lthe separating force of the roll pressure, the combination of a vertical slide guided on the side stile, latch means on the slide cooperating with one of the toggle links to hold the links in the pressure sustaining position in the region of dead center and movable with the slide to release the links from the dead center position, a pair of release members on opposite sides of the wringer frame each having a crank arm pivoted in the side stile and having a portion engaging the slide, the slide engaging portion of each crank arm respectively extending in opposite directions from its crank arm pivot, a drag link connecting the crank arms, and spring means biasing the slide against the crank arms and yieldably holding the slide in latching position.

2. In a toggle release type wringer, means including toggled links for sustaining the wringing pressure, said links having a pressure sustaining position in which the links are in the region of dead center, a latch for holding the toggled links in the pressure sustaining position including a vertical slide for releasing the latch, a pair of release members on opposite sides of the wringer each having a pivotal crank arm with a portion thereof respectively engaging the slide. the slide 5 engaging portions of the crank arms extending from their respective pivots in opposite directions,

a drag link connecting the crank arms;l andispring; means biasing the` slide against the crank arms?v and yieldably holding the slide away from the 10 latch releasing position.

WALTER L. KAUFFMAN II.

4 References Cited in the le of this patent Number FOREIGN PATENTS 

